The Lakers started their day doing more than hitting the ground running, taking a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. to meet a coveted free agent. The Lakers ended their day with uncertainty if they will land one.

They left Washington D.C. on Wednesday afternoon feeling encouraged about their meeting with Detroit center Greg Monroe. One league source described the meeting as “more low key” than when the Lakers met with Portland center LaMarcus Aldridge on Tuesday evening in Los Angeles, though the Lakers left both sessions with positive impressions.

But shortly after team officials traveled back to Los Angeles for a meeting with Clippers center DeAndre Jordan on Wednesday evening, the Lakers learned they missed out on a few big-name free agents.

Cleveland forward and former UCLA standout Kevin Love announced on the Players’ Tribune’s website that he planned to re-sign with the Cavaliers, which reportedly entailed a five-year deal worth $100 million. Love wrote he “heard of the free agency rumors” before adding “Cleveland was the place for me.” After all, the Cavaliers finished only two wins away from winning the 2015 NBA Finals against Golden State despite season-ending injuries to Love (right shoulder) and starting point guard Kyrie Irving (left knee).

Yahoo! Sports and the Los Angeles Times both reported Aldridge left the Lakers’ meeting unimpressed, believing the pitch centered too much on off-court branding opportunities over both basketball strategy and rebuilding. The Times’ report also added Aldridge became unreceptive to Kobe Bryant’s suggestion he could fill a similar role that Pau Gasol held when he won two NBA championships in 2009 and 2010.

So much for the Lakers promoting a “#LATOLA” hashtag campaign on its Twitter account, while showcasing pop star Adam Levine wearing an Aldridge No. 12 Lakers jersey. Those photos were eventually deleted because other teams reportedly complained to the NBA such an approach violated a team’s protocol not to speak about free agents publicly until they can sign contracts July 9.

A league source familiar with Aldridge’s thinking called the reports “false.” Wasserman Media Group, the sports agency that represents Aldridge, later tweeted, “he has not made any decisions yet.” Shortly after, Bryant tweeted, “social media reporting shouldn’t diminish the quality of content.”

It was not immediately clear how Jordan felt about the Lakers’ pitch on Wednesday evening that lasted two hours and was moved up from its original time at 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. But Jordan left a 4 1/2-hour meeting with Dallas on Wednesday morning impressed with the franchise’s basketball pitch, according to a league source familiar with his thinking. Jordan also met with the Mavericks on Tuesday evening, including owner Mark Cuban, and has hung out frequently with forward Chandler Parsons. Jordan will also visit the New York Knicks and the Clippers on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Regardless of what transpired in the Lakers’ meeting with Aldridge, it is indisputable the Lakers have failed to retain and attract star free agents in recent seasons. They could not keep Dwight Howard and Gasol in consecutive offseasons. Last summer, the Lakers could not convince LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony to join them. It has not helped the Lakers missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons amid countless injuries.

The Lakers brought a large cast to Aldridge’s meeting, most notably Bryant, coach Byron Scott, general manager Mitch Kupchak, president Jeanie Buss and executive Jim Buss. The meeting also included assistant general manager Glenn Carraro, senior vice president of business operations Tim Harris, team publicist John Black as well as AEG and Time Warner Cable SportsNet officials.

The Lakers’ meeting with Monroe featured Scott, Kupchak, Carraro, Harris and Black, while TWC SportsNet representatives joined the meeting for Jordan. If the Lakers landed either one of those stars, that would likely take up $18.8 million of the $23 million they have available in cap space. And if not?

Well, other centers are also off the market. Brook Lopez reportedly returned to Brooklyn, while Tyson Chandler joined Phoenix. Marc Gasol is expected to stay in Memphis.

Nonetheless, the Lakers hoped to revamp a roster that finished last season with the team’s worst record in franchise history. But as they discovered Wednesday, no amount of persistence and pitching fully guarantees the Lakers will land their next star.

Mark Medina has been the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News since 2012. He also works as a Lakers insider for AM570 and is heard on national radio outlets, including The Dan Patrick Show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, The Chris Mannix Show, Fox Sports Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Yahoo! Sports Radio and SB Nation Radio. Medina also appears frequently on Spectrum SportsNet and NBC4's "Going Roggin."